Today, many businesses use telemarketing techniques. Telemarketing techniques are often used for contacting potential sales leads, conducting market research, and promoting various products. Known telemarketing techniques include: telephone calls from operators in a call center; voicemails, e.g., on answering machines; faxes; emails; and text messages.
For example, a telephone call from an operator in a call center is a frequently used telemarketing technique. Typically, businesses obtain calling lists from a variety of sources. For example, lists can be obtained from various marketing organizations and retailers. Unfortunately, it is difficult to predict which consumers will be receptive to a telemarketing call. Even if a consumer is interested in being called regarding a particular product or subject, there are few mechanisms available which forward this interest to the appropriate business. Consequently, businesses are often forced to call a large number of consumers in order to eventually find an interested consumer. Thus, many telemarketing calls are unwanted and unsuccessful.
However, as a result of receiving numerous unwanted telemarketing calls, telemarketing has become unpopular with many consumers. For example, due to public outcry, U.S. Federal law requires organizations which conduct telemarketing to maintain a “do-not-call” list. However, “do-not-call” lists are difficult to maintain and are often out of date.
Some consumers have also tried using caller-id services in order to screen out unwanted calls. Caller-id services can be used to identify the phone number of a caller. Unfortunately, a caller can have its identity blocked from caller-id services. For example, a person can elect to have his/her caller-id number blocked from being sent. Many telemarketing calls have caller-id blocked and, thus, are identified as being “unavailable.” This forces the consumer to answer a call without knowing if the call is a telemarketing call or, e.g., from a friend who happens to have caller-id blocked. Thus, despite these mechanisms, i.e., “do-not call” lists and caller-id, consumers still receive unwanted calls.
Moreover, many consumers now own fax machines. Unwanted telephone calls to a consumer's fax machine, e.g., an unwanted telemarketing fax, incur costs associated with the fax paper and toner. Thus, a consumer may want to avoid unwanted telephone calls to his/her fax machine.
Mobile telephones, such as cellular telephones, have also become popular. Many mobile telephones are now capable of receiving, e.g., emails, and text messages, in addition to phone calls. However, a consumer often pays charges based on usage, such as air time minutes for receiving or making a telephone call. Unfortunately, telemarketing calls, emails, and text messages to a consumer's mobile telephone may cause the consumer to incur higher charges, e.g., for air time associated with the telemarketing. Thus, a consumer may also want to avoid unwanted telephone calls at his/her mobile telephone, as well.